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Do the Effects of Head Start Vary by Parental Preacademic Stimulation?
Author(s) -
Miller Elizabeth B.,
Farkas George,
Vandell Deborah Lowe,
Duncan Greg J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12233
Subject(s) - head start , psychology , early head start , developmental psychology , stimulation , literacy , head (geology) , audiology , medicine , neuroscience , pedagogy , geomorphology , geology
Data from the Head Start Impact Study ( N = 3,185, age = 3–4 years) were used to determine whether 1 year of Head Start differentially benefited children from homes with high, middle, and low levels of parental preacademic stimulation on three academic outcome domains—early math, early literacy, and receptive vocabulary. Results from residualized growth models showed positive impacts of random assignment to Head Start on all three outcomes, and positive associations between parental preacademic stimulation and academic performance. Two moderated effects were also found. Head start boosted early math skills the most for children receiving low parental preacademic stimulation. Effects of Head Start on early literacy skills were largest for children receiving moderate levels of parental preacademic stimulation. Implications for Head Start are discussed.